Where to stay in Cartagena

Cartagena divides into distinct zones within a compact Caribbean footprint: the colonial walled city (Centro and San Diego), the bohemian quarter of Getsemaní just outside the walls, the beachfront high-rise strip of Bocagrande along the peninsula, and a scattering of coastal neighborhoods and islands further from the core. The choice is not price — budget to luxury inventory exists in most zones — but character. Inside the walls you get cobblestone, courtyards, and walking-distance density; on the peninsula you get ocean, pools, and modern towers; beyond the city core you trade convenience for sand and quiet. The spread runs from $18 hostel bunks in Getsemaní to $782 at the Four Seasons, with a thick mid-range cluster between $100 and $200 across Centro and Bocagrande. What follows groups the city's accommodation by neighborhood so you match the area to your trip before you pick the room.

1. 1

   Bocagrande, Cartagena

   Beachfront peninsula southwest of the walled city, Cartagena

   High-rise oceanfront strip with pool-and-beach convenience across all tiers

   Traffic hums along Avenida San Martín from dawn, and Bocagrande's beachfront high-rises deliver the closest thing Cartagena has to a Miami-style strip. Skip the generic chain lobbies near the convention center; the mid-range San Martin Cartagena holds an 8.9 and sits within walking distance of El Laguito's seafood row. The Hyatt Regency anchors the luxury tier at about $216 a night with direct coastline access, while the budget Oz Hotel Luxury scores a 9.1 at $67 — better value than most hostels inside the walls. The peninsula is flat and walkable: Castillogrande beach at the southern tip, the naval base at the neck, and the walled city a fifteen-minute walk northeast along the waterfront. Bocagrande suits travelers who want ocean, pool, and air conditioning over colonial atmosphere.

   1. Budget

      Oz Hotel Luxury

      Room is upgraded with balcony for additional pay at check-in counter. Good experience with late check out at 1pm.

      9.1/10 rating ~$67/night
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   2. Mid-Range

      San Martin Cartagena

      The hotel is a half hour walk from the old city, and the taxi fare is 10,000 pesos. The hotel's service is very good, especially the breakfast service, but the room's hygiene is not ideal, the room is

      8.9/10 rating
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   3. Luxury

      Hyatt Regency Cartagena

      The hotel is strategically located along the coastline, 15 minutes' walk away from the old town of the World Heritage Site. Booked a sea view room and gave it to a high floor when I checked in. The vi

      9.0/10 rating ~$216/night
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2. 2

   Centro, Cartagena

   Historic walled city center, UNESCO World Heritage quarter, Cartagena

   Colonial mansions converted to boutique hotels inside the walls

   Music echoes through the colonial arcades of Centro before tourist crowds fill Plaza de los Coches by mid-morning. The locals head to Plaza Santo Domingo early, not the souvenir shops along the ramparts. Casa Noa Colonial Rooms anchors the budget tier at $59 a night with a 9.2, steps from everything inside the walls, while Casa de Alba Hotel Boutique commands a 9.5 at $192 in the mid-range. The luxury Charleston Santa Teresa occupies a converted convent at $338 and earns the premium on architecture alone. Centro is dense — churches, museums, restaurants, and plazas stack within a few blocks — but it empties after dinner into quiet stone corridors. Stay here for immersion in the walled city itself; the beach is a taxi or a long walk away.

   1. Budget

      Casa Noa Colonial Rooms

      The best, it is close to everything, I would never doubt host again.

      9.2/10 rating ~$59/night
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   2. Mid-Range

      Casa de Alba Hotel Boutique

      9.5/10 rating ~$192/night
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   3. Luxury

      Charleston Santa Teresa Cartagena

      9.4/10 rating ~$338/night
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3. 3

   Getsemani, Cartagena

   Bohemian quarter adjoining the walled city's southwest gate, Cartagena

   Street-art neighborhood with the widest price range and late-night energy in the city

   At about $18 a night Masaya Cartagena gives backpackers an 8.7 with free yoga and privacy curtains on every bunk, and that price floor sets the tone for Getsemaní. This is the neighborhood where street art covers every surface from Calle de la Sierpe to Plaza de la Trinidad, drum circles run past midnight, and the hostel-bar economy keeps things loud until late. Skip the overpriced cocktail bars aimed at cruise-ship overflow; the locals swear by the corner tiendas and plaza vendors. The mid-range Osh Hotel Cartagena holds a 9.2 at $179 for travelers who want the Getsemaní energy without dormitory plumbing, while the Four Seasons sits at $782 on the neighborhood's western edge for those who want the location wrapped in marble. Getsemaní suits night owls and budget travelers; light sleepers should look at San Diego next door.

   1. Budget

      Masaya Cartagena

      Great location. I liked the privacy for each dorm bed. The free yoga and various activities were great too. Unfortunately the shower didn’t drain super well, so I was standing on the water in the show

      8.7/10 rating ~$18/night
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   2. Mid-Range

      Osh Hotel Cartagena

      The Osh hotel has such an amazing vibe. As you enter the lobby, you are greeted by their lovely staff with a welcome drink. Check in was really smooth and they offered options for my room category, an

      9.2/10 rating ~$179/night
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   3. Luxury

      Four Seasons Hotel & Residences Cartagena

      9.5/10 rating ~$782/night
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4. 4

   Cartagena

   Resort and beach properties beyond the city core, including Barú island

   Sand-and-seclusion escapes requiring a transfer from the old city

   Morning light drifts across the bay toward the resort properties that sit outside Cartagena's historic core, spread along coastal roads and offshore islands where the city is a day-trip, not a backdrop. The budget Amalife Beach Club holds an 8.3 at $63 with a beach-club vibe suited to solo travelers, while Las Americas Casa de Playa scores an 8.8 as the mid-range family anchor with pools and shared facilities at the neighboring complex. The luxury tier reaches Barú island: SOFITEL BARU asks $449 a night for a brand-new beachfront build with the trade-off of a rough final stretch of road. Don't bother with this zone if you want cobblestone walks and colonial architecture within reach — the walled city requires a real transfer. Stay here for sand, seclusion, and resort scale that the old town cannot offer.

   1. Budget

      Amalife Beach Club & Hotel

      This hotel has a great cost benefit, especially if you are traveling alone. It's worth a super, local with a super positive vibe

      8.3/10 rating ~$63/night
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   2. Mid-Range

      Las Americas Casa de Playa

      The hotel is excellent for families and couples. It has a variety of games for children. You can also use the pools of Torres del Mar, which is the hotel next door and belongs to the same owners. Ther

      8.8/10 rating
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   3. Luxury

      SOFITEL BARU CARTAGENA

      Excellent hotel and staff. Brand new with some amazing art work and decor. The view and ambience is simply beautiful. The only one problem I have which I know is being addressed is the last 1/2 drive

      9.3/10 rating ~$449/night
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5. 5

   La Boquilla, Cartagena

   Fishing village on the northern coastline past the airport, Cartagena

   Local Caribbean village life with mangrove channels and quiet beach

   At about $60 a night Hotel Serema holds an 8.6 in La Boquilla, the fishing village that clings to Cartagena's northern coastline past the airport road. The mangrove channels and beach here are the opposite of Bocagrande's polished strip — local lanchas, fried fish stands, and sand that empties by late afternoon. Avoid the package-tour kayak vendors clustered at the main boat launch; the quieter stretches north reward a longer walk. Inventory is thin — Hotel Serema is the standout budget anchor, and the mid-range and luxury tiers sit in the adjacent zone further along the coast. This is a base for travelers who want local Caribbean village life over tourist infrastructure, and who accept that a taxi into the walled city is part of the deal.

   1. Budget

      Hotel Serema

      8.6/10 rating ~$60/night
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6. 6

   Crespo, Cartagena

   Residential grid between Rafael Núñez airport and the old city, Cartagena

   Transit-convenient layover base close to the airport

   Runway noise fades a few blocks from Rafael Núñez airport into Crespo's residential grid, where the mid-range Wyndham Garden Cartagena holds an 8.5 at $116 a night. This is the transit-convenient neighborhood: close enough to the terminal for early flights, a short taxi to Centro and Bocagrande, but without the walking-distance charm of either. Skip Crespo if you want nightlife or restaurants at your door — the strip is quiet after dark and the dining options thin out past the main road. The Wyndham earns its rating on reliable service and clean rooms rather than location glamour. Stay here for a practical layover base or a calm alternative to the old city's noise, not for the Cartagena postcard. Adjacent Marbella sits between Crespo and the walled city if you want a step closer without the premium.

   1. Mid-Range

      Wyndham Garden Cartagena

      The hotel was one of the best things during our trip, everything was perfect, the facilities were very nice and the staff was friendly and diligent. We will definitely return

      8.5/10 rating ~$116/night
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7. 7

   Manga, Cartagena

   Island neighborhood across the channel from Getsemaní, Cartagena

   Quiet residential pocket connected by bridge to the old city quarter

   At about $102 a night the Holiday Inn Express holds an 8.3 on Manga island, a quiet residential pocket connected to Getsemaní by a short bridge across the channel. The budget Hotel Casa Castel sits at $65 with an 8.2, and together they anchor an area that trades location for calm and value. The locals know Manga as a place to live, not a place to tour — residential towers, a few corner restaurants, pharmacies a taxi ride away. Not worth the walk if you want nightlife at your door, but the bridge to Getsemaní's plazas is short enough for an evening out. Manga suits business travelers and those who prefer chain-hotel predictability over boutique character, with the old city reachable in minutes by taxi or mototaxi.

   1. Budget

      Hotel Casa Castel

      8.2/10 rating ~$65/night
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   2. Mid-Range

      Holiday Inn Express CARTAGENA MANGA by IHG

      Me gustó el servicio y las habitaciones, queda algo retirado de farmacias y lugares de interés, no obstante lo recomiendo cuando se viaja solo con adultos y con facilidad de moverse

      8.3/10 rating ~$102/night
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8. 8

   Marbella, Cartagena

   Coastal strip between Crespo and the walled city walls, Cartagena

   Mid-point base walkable to both Bocagrande beach and the walled city

   Salt air drifts off the Caribbean along Marbella's coastal road, a transitional strip wedged between Crespo and the old city walls. Bondo Hometel anchors the budget tier here with a 9.2 at $75 a night — spacious apartment-style rooms in a modern building that outscores many mid-range options elsewhere in the city. Skip the overpriced seafront restaurants aimed at passing taxis; the residential blocks a street back have better local food. Marbella is walkable to the walled city in one direction and to Bocagrande's beach strip in the other, making it a practical middle-ground base. Inventory is limited in this zone, but the Bondo's rating justifies the address for travelers who want modern comfort, kitchen access, and quiet nights without paying the old-city premium.

   1. Budget

      Bondo Hometel

      Classy apartments in modern building, with clean, spacious rooms. Everything is very comfortable, comfortable, there is everything necessary. Excellent location, kind staff.

      9.2/10 rating ~$75/night
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9. 9

   La Boquilla

   Northern beach coast beyond the fishing village, Cartagena

   Waterfront sand strip for families and package travelers seeking quiet

   Surf rolls onto the sand at the northern stretch of La Boquilla, where the Radisson Cartagena Ocean Pavillion sits alone in the mid-range tier with an 8.9. The budget option is a short ride south — Hotel Serema's $60 rooms serve the same coastline from the adjacent fishing-village zone — and no luxury property exists here yet. Skip this end of the beach if you want walkable restaurants or evening plans; the coast is quiet, the infrastructure sparse, and the hotel pool becomes the social center after dark. The Radisson draws families and package travelers wanting sand without old-city crowds, though expect reliable mid-range service rather than upscale polish. Stay for the waterfront, not the neighborhood.

   1. Mid-Range

      Radisson Cartagena Ocean Pavillion

      This is a 3.5/4 stars hotel. For the brand I was expecting a higher level of service and better facilities. The window in our bedroom was dirty to a point we could barely see the outside, some areas a

      8.9/10 rating
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10. 10

    San Diego, Cartagena

    Eastern quarter within the walled city, behind Santa Clara convent, Cartagena

    The quieter half of the walled city for early nights and aimless walks

    A cart rattles along the narrower streets of San Diego, the quieter barrio tucked into the walled city's eastern half behind the Santa Clara convent. The locals know this corner empties earlier than Centro's main plazas, and the restaurant buzz fades well before midnight. Sofitel Legend Santa Clara anchors the luxury tier at $338 with a 9.2, occupying the converted convent grounds with a garden courtyard that justifies the rate on history and architecture alone. The budget Cartagena Royal Hotel Boutique holds an 8.3 at $72 for travelers who want walled-city immersion without Centro's tourist density. Skip the souvenir vendors near the clock tower; San Diego rewards aimless walking, quiet dinners, and early mornings over organized nightlife.

    1. Budget

       Cartagena Royal Hotel Boutique

       Excelente servicio tanto como la ubicación, la comida, la habitación y todos muy amables

       8.3/10 rating ~$72/night
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    2. Luxury

       Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena

       Casa Santa Clara: Sofitel Legend under Accor. It is also the largest of the three luxury brands in the city. The picture shows the garden. It is also a historical site where you can have breakfast sur

       9.2/10 rating ~$338/night
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